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CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTORY PART

A. Introduction

The student athlete (sometimes written student-athlete) is a participant in an organized

competitive sport sponsored by the educational institution in which he or she is enrolled. Student-

athletes are full time students as well as full time athletes. The academic performances of student-

athlete is a current and highly publicized topic in higher education.

Issues and deliberations concerning sports participation and academic achievement have

been heard for decades. Sports enthusiasts were claiming that participation in any sports help the

student-athletes to have " a sound mind and a sound body " individual. However, some people

in the academe believed that sports participation hindered students' ability to excel in their

academic courses because most of their times were allotted into sports commitments such as

training and competitions than studying alone.

Sports involvement and academic success of student-athlete had been a topic of

discussion long time ago. Critics observed that participation in sports may reduce the time

available for studying and learning, since student-athletes were having difficulties in managing

their time between hectic schedules of sports training and requirements of academic subjects.

(Rona C. Montecalbo-Ignacio, 2017). Student-athletes have to balance many different activities

in order to become successful in the higher education setting, such as meeting athletic obligation,

academics, and other activities. Time Management is another focal point of a student athlete.
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This provides organization and discipline to a student athlete’s life. How long one does a certain

task or assignment allows the days to be organized in a certain way. Sports plays its time during

the day and academics plays its role as well. It’s part of the balance of a daily schedule. Bob Bly

said, “Your time is ultimate yours and yours alone. Make the most of it. Make every second

count.”

Time is crucial for any student athlete because competitive sports and academics work

side by side. Each day should be productive. Their mind is focused on several goals. Their

attention is also consumed by the competing demands of practice, championship games,

curricular activities, examination dates and maintaining good GPA’s (Grade Point Average).

Balance is a real challenge because education is crucial to young athlete’s life. The most

important for student is to figure out when his/her exams and midterms will be. It is crucial that

student gives their best effort in exams just like an athlete would give their best during

competition. But for the best to come out preparation is the key. Being a student-athlete is

challenging because you have to juggle practice schedules and traveling for games with classes,"

Carlin said. "Most of us have scholarship responsibilities, so we can’t afford to fall behind in our

schoolwork." Every student athlete has the invariable task to study and complete, it’s like having

two jobs according to Fitness magazine.

They found out that there were positive effects on sport participation on grades, self-

concept, locus of control, and educational aspirations in addition to a negative effect on discipline
 3

problems. Sports participation improved athletes' perceptions on academic excellence, mental

processes and becoming more logical and patient. (Yiannakis & Mclnick, 2005).

Further, one study that was conducted found a positive between participation on

extracurricular activities, including sports, and a reduced probability of dropping out of students

(McNeal, 1995). The author examined the associations of behavioral attributes of students and

their propensity to drop out. Interestingly, the author found that, while participation in athletics

and fine arts significantly reduce the likelihood of a student dropping out, participation in

academic or vocational clubs was found to no effect (McNeal). Those effects were reported to

have persisted even after typical dropout controls were implemented in the models (McNeal).

The statement of the problem will be now presented.

B. Statement of the Problem

The central issue that drives this study is the relationship between academic performance

and athletic participation. This study aims to answer these following questions:

1. What are the profiles of the respondents in terms of?

a.) Age

b.) Sex

2. As an athlete, can you balance your academic performance?

3. Is it difficult being a student-athlete?

4. How difficult do you find it to balance your athletic and academic responsibilities??

5. Are there any positive effects of participation in athletics on your academic

performances?
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6. Do you consider your involvement in sports as an impediment to your academics?

C. Methods of Study

The researcher used quantitative method of research to conduct effective layout about

the academic performance of the Grade 11 Athletes of Notre Dame of Esperanza Inc. Survey is

used in this research. The survey questionnaires were personally distributed to the student

participants subjected in the study. The participants were asked to fill some personal information

about their selves and expected to sustain the needed information related to the study. Also, the

researcher used the internet, websites, and articles to fulfil the valuable information addressing

the academic performance of Grade 11 Athletes of the Notre Dame of Esperanza Inc.

D. Purpose of Study

This research aims to benefit the student athletes, specifically Grade 11 students, and the

school administration of The Notre Dame of Esperanza, Inc. in a way for them to determine and

understand the possible effects of participation in athletics on academic performance. It will also

benefit the parents and the community in knowing how it affects the academic performance of

their children due to sports. Results concluded in this research can aid the school administration

in developing programs that could help the student-athletes to enhance not just their skills in

sports, but also their performance in academic. Hence, this study will examine the experiences,

perspective, and outcomes of former student-athletes and aims to gain knowledge about

intersection of athletics and academics with the overall education, and professional futures of

student-athletes. Additionally, this study is significant in assessing holistic educational gains for

high-risk student athletes.

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E. Scope and Limitation

This research entitled “The Grade 11 Athletic Participation and their Academic

Performances at The Notre Dame of Esperanza, Inc S.Y 2018-2019” will give some information

about the correlation between the academic performance and athletic participation of the students

to the future researchers. However, the focus of this study is more on the possible effects of being

an athlete on academic performances among the grade 11 student athletes of NDEI.

F. Locale of the Study

This study is conducted at the Senior Highschool building of The Notre Dame of
Esperanza, Inc. Saliao, Esperanza, Sultan Kudarat.

E. Methodology

This part of the study represents the research design, participants, and the instrument used

in this study. This part of the study shows the set of methods or procedures used by the researcher

to sustain th e principles of inquiry subjected to the study.

Research Design

This research is conducted through a quantitative method of study. The survey

questionnaires were personally distributed to the student participants subjected in the study. The

participants were asked to fill some personal information about their selves and expected to

sustain the needed information related to the study. After collecting the answered questionnaires,

the researcher made a tally of the results and computed for their weighted mean. The researcher

then interpreted and showed the result of the survey. The researcher assured that the
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confidentiality of the respondents was kept and intended to use for purely research’s purposes

only.

Participants

The participants of this study were the Grade 11 Athletes of The Notre Dame of

Esperanza, Inc S.Y 2018-2019. The selection was purposive since the main target participants

are the Grade 12 Athletes students only. There are thirty-six (36) participants who were included

in this study.

Research Instrument

The researcher made questionnaires to be used in surveying. Then, the researcher

distributed the questionnaire to senior high school grade 11 students, primarily from those athlete

students. This study was made through the help of the modern technology such as, laptops and

cell phones. As a basis and guide of this study, the researcher used the internet, reference books,

and website articles related to the research to fulfil essential information addressing the academic

performance of Grade 11 School Athletes of the Notre Dame of Esperanza Inc. S.Y 2018-2019.
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CHAPTER II

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

A. Foreign Concept

Athletics have come to play a major role in the life of high schools and universities across

the U.S. today (Mock, 2003; Griffith, 2004; Hamilton, 2005; Knox, 2007; Tublitz, 2007). For

several generations, athletics and education have been identified with each other, with the result

that sports culture has become embedded within academic culture on many levels. Traditionally,

participation in sports was said to make boys into men and help them appreciate teamwork, duty,

sacrifice and dedication. Sports built character and engendered the values of good sportsmanship

in young men. As a result of this tradition, a number of researchers have argued that “organized

sports can play a beneficial role in the development of children into educated and well-rounded

students” (Griffith, 2004, p. 1). One routinely hears, from podiums and in official school

statements, that “high school athletics can have a profound influence on our youth, our schools,

and our communities” (Griffith, p. 2). The promotion of sports as a path toward maturity was

supported by studies that have found that “participation in extracurricular activities affect

academic performance, attachment to school and social development” among high school

students (NHSAW, 2001, p. 9). Participation in sports and related physical education activities

“provide opportunities for students to learn the values of teamwork…and the opportunity to

apply academic skills in other arenas as part of a well-rounded education” (NHSAW, p. 9).

As a result of studies and beliefs like these, high school sports have become a pervasive

and powerful presence in most major high school life. In the context of the era of accountability
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and standardized testing, however, a new scrutiny has been brought to high school sports.

Griffith (2004) argued that “there is remarkably little research on the interplay of sports and

academic achievement” (p. 1). In other words, research continues to struggle to empirically prove

what has been a basic tenet of the rhetoric surrounding sports for years, that participation in

sports improves such non-cognitive areas of personal growth as self-motivation and thus may

(or may not) have a positive impact on academics as well.

Contributing to the difficulties in examining the interplay between sports and academics

at the high school level is the fact that high school sports continue to be professionalized, with

pressure bearing downward from a culture of sports that includes intercollegiate and professional

sports. For many, participation in high school sports places a young man or woman into a

pipeline that leads directly to playing sports in college and even becoming a professional athlete.

While this ideology has justified many of the excesses in high school sports today, empirical

research paints a different picture. For example, the NCAA recently undertook a study to

determine how many high school athletes go on to compete at the collegiate level, and even the

professional level. The numbers resulting from the study were described as “sobering” (Knox,

2007, p. 1), in the sense that they counteract the prevailing rhetoric. In the area of high school

football, for example, in the 2004 high school season 983,000 students played football (Knox,

2007). Only 56,000 of these high school football players went on to play football at the collegiate

level. Moreover, “just 0.9%” of high school football players ever ended up playing professional

football (Knox, p. 1). The same low percentages of ultimate participation of high school athletes

in professional sports, often presumed to be the rationale for intense involvement in high school
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sports, exist in other sports, with .03% of basketball players, .05% of men’s baseball and .08%

of men’s soccer players at the high school level ever making it into professional sports (Knox,

2007). These findings mean two things. First, most high school athletes, if they participate or are

being pushed to participate by parents who believe in an easy transition to a lucrative

professional sports career, are participating in sports for the wrong reasons. Second, high school

athletes laboring under the increased pressure caused by this professionalization inevitably

forego academics in order to participate at this level.

As a result of the professionalization of sports, those sports defined as “big money” sports

have begun to produce athletes whose lives are disproportionately focused on sports. In one study

of NCAA athletes, it was found that for most sports, which do not take up so much of a student’s

time and do not make a lot of money for the school, the graduation rate of these student-athletes

is more or less the same as the graduation rate for the whole study body, that is, “58% versus

60%” (Mock, p. 2). In the big money sports of football and basketball, however, the graduation

rates of student athletes are “embarrassing” (Mock, p. 2). Basketball players graduate fewer than

regular students at two thirds of all NCAA division one schools, while “36 institutions graduated

(football) players at rates lower than those for their male students who were not athletes” (Mock,

p. 2). Finally, even though most Division 1 NCAA schools have created academic support

programs for their student athletes, “some championship-caliber teams had zero graduation rates

in multiple (recent) years” (Mock, p. 2). Indeed, another study found that, overall, “two-thirds

of male athletes in all sports have grade-point averages that place them in the bottom third of
 10

their class” (Mock, p. 2). Nor is the problem limited solely to men, as female athletes also have

recorded much poorer academic records than non-athlete students (Mock, 2003).

The professionalization of sports at the collegiate levels has produced other abuses at that

level. For example, as collegiate sports continue “inching ever closer to a professional model”

(Tublitz, 2007, p. 1), there has been a “marked increase in inappropriate behavior at all levels”

(Tublitz, p. 1). Regarding to circumventing academic requirements for student athletes, such

misbehavior includes cases where admission offices have admitted ineligible students into

college because they are athletes and faculty have run fake courses for athletes to gain merely

formal grading requirements (Tublitz). While it may be that the era of the “dumb jock, the must-

win-at-all-costs coach, and the uncaring professor,” (Tublitz, p. 1) is over, too many student

athletes are being forced by undue pressure from sports to choose between athletics and

academics.

In a recent case, a number of star student athletes at a California University had to choose

between competing in a track and field event and participating in their own graduation

ceremonies. Many of the athletes chose to attend their graduation, mainly on the grounds that it

is a once-only event and that they wanted to share this moment with parents and friends (Carr,

2005). Nonetheless, the administration of the university recommended that the student-athletes

compete at the meet and miss graduation. The fact that the school would put student-athletes in

the position of having to make such a choice indicates how wrong-headed current policy has

become vis-à-vis the relationships between sports and academics.

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A new problem that has developed with regard to the professionalization of athletics at

the collegiate and high school levels is when students are tempted by the promise of a quick

payday to leave high school or college early, to pursue their athletic careers. The NCAA has

recently made it easier for athletes to opt out of college, by not counting their departure as a mark

against a school when calculating the annual academic progress rates of all student athletes (On

Campus, 2005). This new ruling removes from consideration the issue that, if a student leaves

early, his doing so would hurt the overall academic record report of the institution’s student

athletes. While the ruling states that the athlete’s departure will only be “written off” if the

student leaves with an acceptable APR, this sort of accommodation to the facts of professional

life is typical of how the NCAA “supervises” student-athlete academics.

Indeed, schools where student-athletes score at the low end of APRs get a warning the

first year and some restrictions on recruiting and playing time in the second year. Only in the

third year do penalties begin to really hurt (including loss of eligibility for postseason play) (On

Campus, 2005). In general, colleges must maintain an academic progress rate of 925 per year,

and show growth in subsequent years, in order to avoid penalties (Hamilton, 2005). Nonetheless,

a practice of transferring from school to school to avoid penalties has emerged, and “there will

be waivers and exceptions for schools that come close to the cut score but don’t actually make

it” (Hamilton, p. 2). Waivers are also issues for small schools and for schools in economically

disadvantaged areas. A common practice for high school athletes who have been accepted at

colleges is now to attend “spring training camps,” as if they were already in college, during the

second semester of their senior year (Chicago, p. 11). Most of the coaches on the collegiate level
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see no downside to this practice, in that such a practice helps acclimate high school players to

the pressures of college sports early (Chicago). These players do, however, essentially leave high

school early in order to concentrate solely on their sporting future.

In general, then, the professionalization of sports at the collegiate and high school levels

has created a culture where athletics and academics appear to be working at cross-purposes. In

order to repair this negative trend, efforts must be made to “re-integrate athletics into the values,

goals and mission of our institutions” (Tublitz, 2007, p. 1). In order to do this, sports must “be

in alignment with the academic mission” of the school. Moreover, sports must “complement

rather than supplant the goals of education and personal growth” (Tublitz, p. 1). The COIA

report, framing the Future: Reforming Intercollegiate Sports, suggested several reforms which

could greatly alleviate the current stress between athletics and academics. First, the student-

athlete advisement and support structure must be re-structured to focus on authentic academic

experience “and not just to maintain their athletic eligibility” (Tublitz, p. 2). This entails taking

advising away from the athletic department and returning advising to the academic departments

and their advising structures. The advisors themselves should belong to the academic

departments and not be hires of the athletic department. Finally, “academic advising of athletes

should be overseen and regularly reviewed by the campus academic advising structure or the

office of the chief academic officer” (Tublitz, p. 2).

More relevant to high school student-athletes, the eligibility requirements of collegiate

sports must, Mock (2003) argued, be toughened up. At present, “a college-bound athlete is now

required to complete only 13 academic core courses in high school and can be eligible for NCAA
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participation with as little as two years each of math and science” (Mock, p. 2). If, once in

college, a high school student performing at this level continues to maintain this level of

performance in academics, he would not graduate. As a result, the number of core courses

required of student-athletes should be increased so that student-athletes actually have a chance

of graduating. Finally, a trend which has impaired student-athletes who wish to focus on their

academics is “spiralling practice requirements.” Some teams now have “voluntary” practices at

off hours and during off-season, in effect making student-athletes into full-time athletes. At

present, “the current pattern of activities significantly limits their ability to participate fully in

the academic programs of the university” (Mock, p. 3).

Student Athletes and Academics

The primary conceptual problem facing student-athletes is whether or not sports, as an

activity, has a positive impact on other endeavors in life, including academics (Baucom & Lantz,

2000; Clark, 2002; Coleman, 2006). At present, researchers have looked for both indirect and

direct connections. Indirect connections consist of ways in which sports improve various non-

cognitive aspects of an athlete’s personality—self-esteem, motivation—and how that

improvement in turn leads to better academic achievement. Direct connections consist of ways

in which competition in sports helps student-athletes actually perform better in such similarly

competitive events as academic tests and courses. In both cases, the problem remains how to

build a construct that allows one to envision how impact is felt across the supposed gap between

mind and body.

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One of the first researchers to explore this question was James Coleman, who

characterized adolescent culture as distinct from adult culture, and focused on “cars, dates,

sports, popular music, and other matter…. unrelated to school” (Coleman, 2006, p. 1). Most of

all, adolescent culture is characterized by “little interest in education” (Coleman, p. 1).

Coleman’s (2006) claim that adolescents pay little attention to scholastic achievement was

suggested to him by answers to a questionnaire. He asked students, “if you could be remembered

here at school for one of the three things below, which one would you want it to be: brilliant

student, star athlete or most popular?” (Coleman, p. 2). Forty percent of boys responded that they

would want to be remembered as a star athlete, with less than 30% wanting to be remembered

as a brilliant student. When probing why this should be so at a school, Coleman posited that an

institution as a whole makes demands upon members, and that in institutional contexts the group

holds down all students to a “level which can be maintained by all” (Coleman, p. 3). If anyone

is a “curve-buster,” then classmates ridicule or exclude him or her in order to return the curve to

a normative level. Thus, “in a high school, the norms act to hold down the achievements of those

who are above average, so that the school’s demands will be a level easily maintained by the

majority” (Coleman, p. 3). As a result of this, “grades are almost completely relative, in effect

ranking students relative to others in their class” (Coleman, p. 3). In studies, Coleman found that

while there is a collective response against curve-raisers, “there is no epithet comparable to

‘curve-raiser’” in sports, and star athletes do not suffer ostracism. This may be because all are

aware of the fact that athletes represent the group and do not in essence compete for themselves

as individuals.
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Thus, high school culture, as it is, tends to validate sports achievement and limit academic

achievement. Coleman’s solution to this problem was to provide schools with both

interscholastic and intramural competition “in scholastic matters” so that students can come to

see academic achievement as comparably representative of the group, as in sports achievement.

He provided an example of a small high school, too small to mount a sports team, compensating

for its size by successfully competing in state-wide music competitions. As a result, “it is a thing

of pride to be a trombone soloist in this school, and the leading boys in the school are also leading

musicians—not, as in many schools, scornful of such an unmanly activity” (Coleman, 2006, p.

5). Thus, the response to the current imbalance between sports and academics in high school is

to instrument the “shift in the competitive structure of high schools” that changes the norms of

the school, so that academics are valued and even encouraged (Coleman, p. 5). In this way,

“change the competitive structure of the high school and we can change them from places of

athletic to academic prowess” (Coleman, p. 5). In sum, Coleman’s answer to whether or not

sports achievement influences academic achievement is simple: achievement is what counts, and

the competitive structure of the school alone accounts for which type of achievement—sports or

academics—is valued. If the competitive structure of the high school is balanced, sports and

academic achievement are likely to intermix; if imbalanced, sports achievement may come at

the expense of academic achievement.

Another study explored a similar issue related to the structure of thinking in high schools:

prejudice against athletes. The study took place in a college context, but with the

professionalization of sports it undoubtedly has spread to high school as well. Prejudice against
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student-athletes and stereotypes like the aforementioned “dumb jock” are the results of “the

perceived incompatibility between the goals of big-time college athletic programs and the basic

values of academic integrity and academic excellence in higher education” (Baucom & Lantz,

2000, p. 265). Thus, it is common for resentful teachers to stereotype all student athletes as

“being less intelligent than their nonathlete-student peers and [these teachers] may harbor

prejudices based on their perception that student-athletes receive special benefits due to their

status on campus” (Baucom & Lantz, p. 265). Studies have affirmed that both faculty and fellow

students do in fact harbor such prejudices against student-athletes.

Other studies have shown that prejudice against athletes also occurs in Division III

schools known for their academic prowess (Baucom & Lantz, 2000), even when student-athletes

at these schools are more representative of the student body as a whole. Baucom & Lantz’s study

to determine the presence of faculty prejudice against student-athletes found that such prejudice

does exist, but that it is often based on faculty misconceptions regarding the nature of the

scholarship a student-athlete is on, and whether or not his or her presence at the school is

perceived to compromise the academic status of the school as a whole. The result of this finding

is that faculty prejudice reinforces the perceived gap between athletics and academics and, once

athletes enter the classroom, reinforces the gap, contributing to the negative reception of athletes

in the classroom. Faculty prejudice is thus one more aspect of the overall competitive structure

of a school, in this case contributing to the poor performance of student athletes in the classroom

(Baucom & Lantz).

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As a result of the inheritance of such overly binary competitive structures in schools,

much research has worked to redefine the student-athlete as a kind of special needs student, for

whom programs of support and assistance must be created, in the manner of programs for special

education (Clark, 2002). The new construct of the student-athlete sees in him or her both the

student and the athlete, rather than focusing solely on the latter. Thus, student-athletes are not

just athletes but “a unique population of young adults who lead stressful lives influenced by the

unique demands of their lifestyles” (Clark, p. 1). As a result, “such unique demands require

special services to assist them to respond appropriately and become well-adjusted, successful

adults” (Clark, p. 1). The support programs consist of “holistic programs that address

psychosocial issues in academics and athletics” and provide help to student-athletes in all areas

of their lives as students (Clark, p. 1). Thus, a student-athlete is viewed as “an individual with

changing needs and skills, rather than exclusively as an athletic participant” (Clark, p. 1).

Specifically, student-athletes are offered life skill development programs. Formerly,

many perceived that, because they were on scholarships, student-athletes had all their needs met

at school. Studies have shown that not only was this not true, but that the perception that it was

caused schools to allow student-athletes to fall through the cracks (Clark, 2002). In fact, studies

have shown that the environment that the student-athlete enters into is often “exploitative,

developmentally damaging, socially alienating, and generally non-supportive” (Clark, p. 4).

Students and Physical Activity

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The exploration of the important issue, whether or not sports participation among high

school students contributes to non-cognitive attributes that support academic achievement,

begins with physical activity (Fahlman & Hall, et al., 2006; Sailis & Conway, et al., 2004;

Sollerhed & Albertson, et al., 2003; Wilkins & Graham, et al., 2003). Several studies have

determined that, at present, adolescent students today are not physically active enough. This

situation is believed to contribute to increased rates of adolescent obesity and may have other

negative effects as well. In one study, it was found that, even in their unstructured time, “fewer

than 2% of girls and 6% of boys” were physically active during any given school day (Sailis &

Conway, et al., 2004, p. 615). These numbers were even lower where the school structure

provided little infrastructure to allow for physical activity.

High schools need to develop a more ecological model of student behavior in order to

build a physical environment that will contribute to, instead of inhibiting, routine physical

activity during a school day (Sailis & Conway, et al., 2004). The climate of accountability that

has emerged since the passage of No Child Left Behind appears to have further eroded focus on

the whole, including the physical student. As schools work to become more “successful”

according to test-score standards, many of them have cut back on such courses as arts and

physical education (Wilkins & Graham, et al., 2003, p. 721). With the back-to-basics movement,

many schools have cut back on such non-core subjects. Moreover, teachers are “reverting to

direct instruction, drill and ‘teaching to the test’” in classrooms around the country (Wilkins &

Graham, et al., p. 721). In this context, a number of educators argue that spending more time on

core subjects and drilling for the test will lead to better test scores. However, Wilkins & Graham,
 19

et al. (2003) compared the test scores of schools with the amount of time they allocated to non-

core subjects such as physical education, and found that “the relationship between time in (core)

areas and achievement was, for the most part, statistically null” (p. 731). There was also some

indication that schools that maintained at least one hour of physical education per day did better

on tests—an indirect finding that some attention to the whole student may in fact contribute to

improved academic outcomes.

Students and Athletic Competition

From physical education, it is but a short leap to participation in athletic competition

(Dawkins, 2005; Ferris & Finster, 2003; Jacobs & Lanza, et al., 2002; Parish & Williams, 2007;

Quaiser-Pohl & Lehrmann, 2002; Wann & Polk, 2007; Wild & Flischer, et al., 2007). As noted

above, physical activity and positive attitudes about participating in physical education classes

in schools have been associated with positive development of such non-cognitive constructs as

SOC. By contrast, physical inactivity in adolescence “has been shown to be associated with a

less healthy lifestyle, worse educational progression, and poor self-perceived health” (Sollerhed

& Ejlertsson, et al., 2003, p. 341). When it comes to sports, many more studies have found

evidence of its positive impact on non-cognitive factors in adolescents. In the Role of Sports in

Youth Development study by the Carnegie Corporation in 1996, it was found that sport

“produces multiple benefits” for young people, including “confidence in one’s physical abilities,

an appreciation of personal health and fitness, and strong social bonds with individuals and

institutions” (NHSAW, 2001, p. 3). In a study in a Minnesota high school 91% of all students
 20

said that “students who participate in school activities (including sports) tend to be school leaders

and role models” (NHSAW, p. 3).

B. Local Concept

The Philippines has been source of many good athletes. Varsity athletes are widely

regarded as campus heroes. They personify school spirit. Since sports is a galvanizing element

in the collegiate community, athletes assume a key responsibility in instilling school pride.

They’re looked up to by students, alumni, faculty, administration and media as symbols of

athletic excellence. Clearly, there is pressure on the athletes to win or at least compete to the best

of their ability. It is what they are supposed to do as athletic scholars.

Student athletes often sacrifice academic work to spend time in the gym, practicing,

building up strength, staying in condition and learning how to play within a system. They’re not

hardened pros, so the learning process takes time as they mature. It is a balancing act, almost

like walking on a tightrope, with the athletes juggling hours to fulfill their obligations in

academics and sports.

The problem is if the student athletes don’t maintain academic passing requirements set

by their schools or league such as the UAAP or NCAA, they lose eligibility to play. In the UAAP,

student athletes must carry a load of at least 12 units per and maintain a 60 percent passing mark.

The rules are non-negotiable as they should term be because no league will want a varsity athlete

playing for a school without going to class or flunking his course. That means student athletes
 21

must know how much to sacrifice in academics for sports because if they forego studies

completely, they jeopardize their athletic eligibility.

To get by classes, student athletes usually enroll in programs that require relatively less

work. If they weren’t athletes, they would probably take up a different course, something to

prepare them for the future outside of sports. But because of the day-to-day demands on a student

athlete, he is often side-tracked to focus on the present and delay thinking of tomorrow. Only a

small percentage of student athletes advance to pursue a career in sports whether as competitors

or coaches or trainers. So, a large majority finish school unprepared for a life beyond sports

unless they re-enroll in a course of their choice.

A survey conducted by La Salle on the senior men’s basketball team showed diverse

course preferences. One player wanted to take up engineering. Another expressed a preference

for accounting. But under the circumstances, they were dissuaded from pursuing their preferred

courses because of time limitations. At present, most of the athletes are enrolled in the AB Sports

Management program. Addressing the issue, La Salle’s No. 1 patron Eduardo (Danding)

Cojuangco conceptualized a program to ensure that varsity athletes are prepared for lifetime

careers or business options in addition to involvement in sports. He tapped La Salle Bacolod

education specialist Dr. Elsie Coscolluela to develop alternatives for student athletes to continue

studies beyond their varsity eligibility with the view of earning degrees in their preferred courses.

Dr. Coscolluela also formulated the program that Ambassador Cojuangco organized through his

foundation to provide La Salle masteral and doctorate scholarships for close to 2,000 public
 22

school teachers in Tarlac in partnership with La Salle, Department of Education and the host

Tarlac State University.

Ambassador Cojuangco’s program for student athletes provides an enriched academic

preparation through either a double-major with AB Sports Management or a second field of

specialization or a Liberal Arts-Commerce double-degree. The first option will take 18 terms,

216 units and six years to finish. The student athlete may focus on AB Sports Management at

first then concentrate on a second major after completing his varsity eligibility. The second major

may be Development Studies (NGO or corporate foundation officer, project manager,

community development officer, advocacy officer or conflict management/resolution specialist)

or Political Science (government service staff, researcher in preparation for a law degree,

politician) or Communication Arts (multi-media production staff, scriptwriter, editor,

director/producer, print/broadcast journalist, professional photographer, entrepreneur) or

Organizational Communication (desktop publishing specialist, graphic/website designer, video

production manager) or Psychology (human resource development, social researcher, NGO

social development staff).

The second option combines a degree in AB Sports Management with a BS degree where

the graduate earns two diplomas. The BS degree has the following majors to choose from:

Advertising Management, Business Management, Entrepreneurship, Public Relations,

Marketing Management and Information Systems. This will involve 21 terms, 252 units and

seven years. Ambassador Cojuangco said even beyond an athlete’s varsity eligibility, he will
 23

personally cover the scholarship costs in completing the student’s education. His dream is for

athletes to succeed not only in sports but also in life beyond sports. Recognizing the sacrifice

that athletes make for the school, he is providing the chance for them to gain a Lasallian

education in the course of their choice.

Dr. Coscolluela said a pool of dedicated faculty will be identified for this program. The

faculty will be oriented on the goals, policies and procedures of the varsity sports program, the

practice schedules, the peak varsity competition periods which may require adjusted class

schedules and make-up classes, she said. The faculty will also be encouraged to use differentiated

teaching strategies that enable students to find meaningful ways of learning that are attuned to

their styles and domains of interest.

Ambassador Cojuangco’s program will be implemented starting the 2013-14 school year

with the senior men’s basketball team as the pilot group. To prepare for it, a life-goal visioning

workshop will be conducted for the athletes with career counselling and testing. Athlete’s parents

will also be oriented to explain the concept of the redesigned program with a longer duration.
 24

THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK

There is a theoretical perspective regarding the relationship between participation in

athletics and academic achievement: that participation diverts attention from academic goals or

has a positive effect on academic achievement.

Developmental Theory

According to this theory (Holland and Andre), athletic participation aids the students’

overall development, including academic. Participation in athletics may lead to experiences,

attitudes, and self-perceptions that enhance academic performance as there may be an increased

interest in school, including academics, generated through participation in sports. Athletes may

be motivated to perform at higher academic levels in order to remain eligible, and athletic success

may lead to a heightened sense of self-worth that spills over into academic performance. As

coaches, teachers, and parents take an interest in athletes, including their classroom performance,

athletic participation may lead to membership in elite peer groups and an orientation toward

academic success, and athletes may have the hope or expectation of participating in athletics at

the collegiate level (Snyder & Spreitzer, 1990). From the perspective of the Developmental

Theory, growth takes place during the process of pursuing goals in athletics, with the emphasis

being on hard work, delayed gratification, planning, competition, cooperation, organization, and

the development of skills and values that lead to success (Hanson & Krauss, 1998). Students

learn “by participating in legitimate activity” (Roth & Lee, 2007, p. 192), and student-athletes

learn how to play better as they try to win. When individuals contribute to positive activities,
 25

they also increase action possibilities for themselves. High school athletes also receive extra

attention from adults in the school, including not only coaches but teachers and guidance

counselors, who take pride in the achievement of the teams (Snyder & Spreitzer, 1990). The

resulting effect is that athletic participation leads to increased academic performance.

 26

CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK

The figure below is a schematic diagram showing the relationship between athletic

participation and academic performance. Athletic participation being the independent variable

and academic performance as the dependent variable.

INDEPENDENT VARIABLE DEPENDENT VARIABLE

ATHLETIC ACADEMIC
PARTICIPATION PERFORMANCE
 27

CHAPTER III

PRESENTATION OF DATA ANALYSIS

This chapter presents the data gathered from the respondents from their questionnaire.

Q1: Profile of the respondents

1. What is the profile of the students or respondents in terms of age?

Table 1.1: Profile of the respondents in terms of their age.

Age No. of Respondents Percentage

16 5 14%

17 25 69%

18 6 17%

Total 36 100%

The table 1 shows the representation of the profile of Grade 11 Athletes in terms of age.

It also shows that five (5) out of thirty-six (36) respondents who actively participated on the

survey questionnaire are 16 years old, resulting 14%, twenty-five (25) respondents are 17 years

old, resulting 69%, while the remaining six (6) respondents are 18 years old, resulting 17%.
 28

2. What is the profile of the students in terms of gender?

Table 1.2: Profile of the respondents in terms of their gender.

Gender No. of Respondents Percentage

Female 17 47%

Male 19 53%

Total 36 100%

The Table 1.2 shows that majority or 19 out of 36 of the respondents or 53% are male,

while the remaining 17 number of respondents or 47% are female. All in total of 36 respondents

on Grade 11 athletes.

Q2: As a student-athlete, can you balance your academic performances?

Table 1.3:” As a student-athlete, can you balance your academic performances?”

Choices Respondents Percentage

Yes 25 69%

No 11 31%

Total 36 100%
 29

The Table 1.3 shows that out of the thirty-six (36) respondents, 69% or twenty-five (25)

of the respondents answered that they can balance their academic performances, and the

remaining 31% or eleven (11) of the respondents answered that they cannot.

Q3: A.) Is it difficult being a student-athlete?

Table 1.4: “Is it difficult being a student-athlete?”

Choices No. of Respondents Percentage

Yes 26 72%

No 10 28%

Total 36 100%

Table 1.4 shows that out of 36 respondents, twenty-six (26) or 72% of them answered

“yes”, while the remaining ten (10) or 28% of the respondents answered “no”. Those respondents

who answered yes, are instructed to choose their reasons why is it difficult being a student-

athlete. The results are shown below.

B.) If yes, what are the reasons?

Table 1.5:” Reasons why it is difficult being a student-athlete”

Choices No. of Respondents Percentage

Lack of time 10 28%

management
 30

Missing class discussion 21 58%

Frustration with 5 14%

teammates/coaches

Lack of academic 5 14%

preparedness

Pressure on upcoming 3 8%

competition

The Table 1.5 shows that out of twenty-six (26) respondents who answered yes, ten (10)

or 28% of the them answered that it is because of the lack of time management, twenty-one (21)

or 58% of them answered that it is because of missing the class discussion, five (5) or 14% of

the respondents answered that it is because of frustration with teammates/coaches, five (5) or

14% respondents answered because of lack of academic preparedness, and three (3) or 8%

answered that it is because of the pressure on the upcoming competition. Take note that the

respondents who answered yes are instructed to choose as many as they want
 31

Q4: A.) Are there any positive effects of participation in athletics on your academic

performances?

Table 1.6: “Are there any positive effects of participation in athletics on your

academic performance?”

Choices No. of Respondents Percentage

Yes 32 89%

No 4 11%

Total 36 100%

The Table 1.6 shows that out of 36 respondents, majority of them answered “yes”,

resulting 89% or a total of thirty-two (32) respondents, while the remaining 11% or a total of

four (4) respondents answered “no”.

B.) If yes, what are those positive effects?

Table 1.7: “Positive effects of participation in athletics on the academic performances”

Choices No. of Respondents Percentage

Develop self-confidence 21 58%

Makes you physically fit 13 36%

and healthy
 32

Reduce probability of 3 8%

dropping out

Expand leadership skills 6 17%

Developmental & physical 9 25%

alertness

The Table 1.7 shows that out of thirty-two (32) respondents who answered yes, twenty-

one (21) or 58% of them answered that participation in athletics can develop self-confidence,

thirteen (13) or 36% answered that participating in athletics makes them physically fit and

healthy, three (3) or 8% answered that it reduces the probability of dropping out of the students,

six (6) or 17% of the respondents answered that participation in athletics can expand the

leadership skills of the students, and nine (9) or 25% of them answered that it can develop mental

and physical alertness of the students. Take note that the respondents are instructed to choose as

many as they want.

Q5: Do you consider your involvement in sports as an impediment to your academics?

Table 1.8:” Do you consider your involvement in sports as an impediment to your

academics?”

Choices No. of Respondents Percentage

Yes 5 14%
 33

No 31 86%

Total 36 100%

The Table 1.8 shows that out of thirty-six (36) respondents, thirty-one (31) or

86% of them answered “no”, while the remaining five (5) or 14% of the respondents

answered “yes”.
 34

CHAPTER IV

SUMMARY OF THE RESULTS

In this part of the study, the summary of the overall results of the data gathered

through, in which the researcher used questionnaires as a tool to conduct the data needed to

stabilize the study shows that there is a total of thirty-six (36) participants. The table 1.1 shows the

representation of the profile of Grade 11 Athletes in terms of age. It also shows that five (5) out of

thirty-six (36) respondents who actively participated on the survey questionnaire are 16 years old,

resulting 14%, twenty-five (25) respondents are 17 years old, resulting 69%, while the remaining six

(6) respondents are 18 years old, resulting 17%. On the Table 1.2 shows the representation of the

profile of Grade 11 Athletes in terms of gender. It shows that majority or 19 out of 36 of the

respondents or 53% are male, while the remaining 17 number of respondents or 47% are female.

All in total of 36 respondents on Grade 11 athletes. The Table 1.3 shows the representation of the

profile of the Grade 11 Athletes in terms of religion. It that majority of the respondents are Catholic,

resulting 69% and a total of 24 number of respondents, while there are 25% or a total of 9

respondents of the Grade 11 Athletes are Islam; while the remaining two (2) respondents are Non-

Catholic, resulting 6%. The Table 1.4 display the data gathered from the Q2: As a student-athlete,

can you balance your academic performances? It shows that out of the thirty-six (36) respondents,

69% or twenty-five (25) of the respondents answered that they can balance their academic

performances, and the remaining 31% or eleven (11) of the respondents answered that they cannot.

On the table 1.5 display the data gathered from the Q3: A.) Is it difficult being a student-athlete? It

shows that out of 36 respondents, twenty-six (26) or 72% of them answered “yes”, while the
 35

remaining ten (10) or 28% of the respondents answered “no”. Those respondents who answered

yes, are instructed to choose their reasons why is it difficult being a student-athlete. The Table 1.6

correspond with the reasoning of the respondents if they answer ‘yes’ from the Q3: A.) Is it difficult

being a student-athlete? It shows that out of twenty-six (26) respondents who answered yes,

ten (10) or 28% of the them answered that it is because of the lack of time management,

twenty-one (21) or 58% of them answered that it is because of missing the class discussion,

five (5) or 14% of the respondents answered that it is because of frustration with

teammates/coaches, five (5) or 14% respondents answered because of lack of academic

preparedness, and three (3) or 8% answered that it is because of the pressure on the upcoming

competition. Take note that the respondents who answered yes are instructed to choose as

many as they want. On the Table 1.7 display the data gathered from the Q4: A.) Are there

any positive effects of participation in athletics on your academic performances? It shows

that out of 36 respondents, majority of them answered” yes”, resulting 89% or a total of

thirty-two (32) respondents, while the remaining 11% or a total of four (4) respondents

answered “no”. The Table 1.8 correspond with the Q4: A.) Are there any positive effects of

participation in athletics on your academic performances? It shows that out of thirty-two

(32) respondents who answered yes, twenty-one (21) or 58% of them answered that

participation in athletics can develop self-confidence, thirteen (13) or 36% answered that

participating in athletics makes them physically fit and healthy, three (3) or 8% answered

that it reduces the probability of dropping out of the students, six (6) or 17% of the

respondents answered that participation in athletics can expand the leadership skills of the
 36

students, and nine (9) or 25% of them answered that it can develop mental and physical

alertness of the students. Take note that the respondents are instructed to choose as many as

they want. The Table 1.9 display the data gathered from the Q5: Do you consider your

involvement in sports as an impediment to your academics? It shows that out of thirty-six

(36) respondent, thirty-one (31) or 86% of them answered “no”, while the remaining five (5)

or 14% of the respondents answered “yes”.

 37

CHAPTER V

CONCLUSION

On this part of the study, the data gathered on the previous chapter will be generalized to

build a firm conclusion to the research. Based on the findings of this study, this research has

identified that most of the Grade 11 athletes had trouble in balancing their academic

performance, but they still manage to cope up on their studies.

Based on the data gathered, majority of the respondents admitted that it is difficult being

a student athlete, and the common reason why they experience difficulty is that because of the

lack of time management and missing the class discussion. On the other hand, least of them

doesn’t experience trouble of being a student athlete. The researcher concludes that participation

in sports may lead to develop mental and physical alertness of the students. In fact, athletic

participation has a lot of positive effects on the students because it will motivate the students to

achieve harder, to continue attending classes in school, and it will help to enhance their

confidence.

Most of the participants states that they do not see athletic participation as a destruction

for their academic performance. Most of the athletes were consistent of their responsibilities

even though they experience such difficulty in balancing their time as a student as well as being

an athlete.
 38

CHAPTER VI

GENERAL CONCLUSION

After completing the study, the researcher came to the general conclusion that

participation in athletics does not impair the academic performance of the students. In fact,

school-sponsored athletic participation has a positive relationship with students’ academic

achievement. Students who were involved in sports were more likely to have a positive

educational outcome. The researcher agrees that students who are involved in school-sponsored

athletic activities will see benefits in the classroom. In each of these studies, students who

participated in athletics were able to outperform their peers who did not participate. However,

sports enthusiast claimed that sports participation can motivate student-athletes to achieve

harder, raise scholastic ambition, can keep them attending school, cam improve students’

academic grades, develop awareness the benefits of good health, fitness and exercise, and

understanding the spirit of team work, sportsmanship and camaraderie. In addition, researches

showed pieces of evidence that student participating in sports and physical activities lead to

develop mental and physical alertness, mentally their performances, accomplished more, and

likely to continue attending classes in school. But the success of a student athlete comes down

to one’s ability to manage one’s time efficiently with social life, academics and sports. Balance,

discipline and organization are the pillars for a student athlete and optimizes one’s success.
 39

CHAPTER VII

RECOMMENDATIONS

Looking at the relationship presented in the data analysis, this is a good point for the

parents, school administrator, teachers, and professors to support the students who want to pursue

their passion in sports. Since sports involvement not just develop the physical appearances and

physical fitness of the student-athletes but also enhance and mold their attitude towards positive

behaviors, self-discipline, mental alertness, and help them grow into a more confident individual.

A student athlete must be always attentive to not over work himself beyond certain limits so as

to reduce the potential for mental and physical damage. School policy makers should give

consideration on the academic and training schedules of the student-athletes by giving them a

priority on the enlistment process for the student-athletes to find academic schedule that suits to

their time for them to have enough preparation and recovery after long and tiring day of training

schedule and competitions.

 40

Bibliography

Joaquin M. Henson (2013) Chapter 2: Education beyond sports

Available: https://www.philstar.com/sports/2013/08/28/1143121/education-beyond-

sports#xvgwudW8hH9W5q6G.99 (August 28, 2013 - 12:00am)

Rona C. Montecalbo-Ignacio (2017): Chapter 1: Academic Achievement as Influenced by Sports

Participation in Selected Universities in the Philippines Available:

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/319305737_Academic_Achievement_as_Influenced_

by_Sports_Participation_in_Selected_Universities_in_the_Philippines

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Chapter 1: Student Athlete

Available: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Student_athlete (21 August 2018, at 04:01)

Raphael Uribe (2016) Chapter 1: A Student Athlete Life: Balancing Academics and Sports

Available: https://makeachamp.com/blog/a-student-athlete-life-balancing-academics-and-

sports

Dr. Ciara Taborn (2018) Chapter 1: Being a Student Athlete

Available: https://digsimpact.org/blog/being-a-student-athlete/ (May 10, 2018)

Dawkins, 2005; Ferris & Finster, 2003; Jacobs & Lanza, et al., 2002; Parish & Williams, 2007;

Quaiser-Pohl & Lehrmann, 2002; Wann & Polk, 2007; Wild & Flischer, et al., 2007 Chapter 2:

Related Literature

Available:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/15on_eKiEcCkwQPNcl4leJDyo17a90s4K/view?usp=drivesdk